‘The Smiling Hour’ is a collaboration between British songstress

Julie Dexter and thehc3; Nick Rosen(p), Kevin Smith(b) & Henry

Conerway III(d). Solo artists in their own right, this group of

musicians have joined together to record a collection of standards.

“The record came about very organically” they say. “Julie didn’t

know it at the time, but she put together a string of shows and

called each member of thehc3 separately.”

Rosen’s arrangements of the classics; Billie Holiday’s, ‘Good

Morning Heartache’ and ‘People Make The World Go Round’ set

the tone for the album. The group chose songs and composers

that have influenced or impacted them in some way; ‘The Smiling

Hour’ the title track, pays homage to the legendary Sarah Vaughan;

while Cotton Tail salutes the great Duke Ellington. This musical

offering with arrangements by each band mem...